January Beekeeping Jobs
/
Plastic wrap keeps wind out of my USDA Hardiness zone 5 hillside bee hives. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)
January Beekeeping Chores
We’ve had 2 inches of rain in the last 24 hours; ice and snow are in the forecast as temperatures in this USDA Hardiness zone 5 garden continue to drop. My bees are warm inside their hives, clustering to keep warm and eating their stored honey. For the bees, the beekeeping year starts with the winter solstice, when daylight starts to get longer and the queen bee starts very slowly to start to lay.
Well wait, for bees the beekeeping year starts in August. That’s when winter bees, different than summer bees, are born and take the colony through winter.
Although the bees are not around the garden, I have a lot to do this month to get ready for a new beekeeping season.
Review my notes from last year. What worked, what didn’t, what do I need to learn more about this winter.
Research, take online classes, read - this is the time to learn more about what didn’t go well last year,
Catch up on current beekeeping research. Reliable clubs now offer meetings online so its easier to stay on top of the latest developments.
When temperatures are between 30-40 F, it’s a good time to give my broodless colonies oxalic acid vapor treatment. Temperatures this winter have been record warm so there have been few days when the temperatures were at optimum vapor application. Applying oxalic acid vapor is one of the many options to try to manage Varroa mites.
Check food stores in the hives. I placed supplemental sugar cakes on top of all of my colonies a week ago prior to the latest snow storm. I will check them in another week by peeking under the lid; I want to make sure they are not running out of food.
This is also the month I should do an inventory of my existing beekeeping equipment and order what I am missing. Once the growing season has started, there usually is very little time to place an order and get what I need before I need it. I prefer to be prepared.
Once I have the equipment inventory done, it will be time to get it all organized so I can easily find it.
I have some hives I need to paint sitting in my garage from last year. Those need to get finished this winter.
While I have the paint out, I also need to paint my nucs, I didn’t get to those last year, either. Bees didn’t care but I do.
10. I plan to split some colonies this spring. I will be ordering queens to make sure I can successfully get new bee colonies established.
11. Wash my bee suits and gloves.
12. Enjoy honey in hot tea!
